Oliver Rolf Kahn born in 15 June 1969 is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987. In 1994, he was transferred to Bayern Munich for the fee of 4,600,000 DM, where he played until the end of his career in 2008.

He is one of the most successful German players in recent history, having won eight German championships, six German cups, the UEFA Cup (1996), the UEFA Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup (both 2001). His individual contributions have earned him four consecutive UEFA Best European Goalkeeper awards, three IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper awards, and two German Footballer of the Year trophies. At the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he became the first and only goalkeeper in the tournament's history to win the Golden Ball.From 1994 to 2006, Kahn was part of the German national team, in which he played as a starter after the retirement of Andreas Köpke. In the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the team reached the Finals. While the team was several times derided for their poor performance, Kahn's prowess proved to be the deciding factor in several games up until the final, where Germany lost to Brazil 0–2 and Kahn received criticism for two blunders. Nonetheless, he was named the tournament's best player and received the Golden Ball award.

At the age of six, Kahn joined Karlsruher SC, where his father Rolf had played from 1962 to 1965. He started as an outfield player before becoming goalkeeper. He was included at the team's professional squad in the 1987–88 season of the first Bundesliga division, at first being the reserve goalkeeper behind Alexander Famulla. On 27 November 1987, Kahn made his league debut in a 4–0 home victory against 1. FC Köln. However, not until 1990 did manager Winfried Schäfer decide to start him over Famulla. In the following years, Kahn established himself as the team's starting goalkeeper. He was considered a key player and a motivator in the Karlruher squad which reached the semi finals in the 1993–94 UEFA Cup. During the round of sixteen the team accomplished a 7–0 rout of Valencia at its home field after losing the first match 1–3 at the Mestalla Stadium. The game was nicknamed the "Miracle at Wildparkstadion" by the German media. The team was defeated by the SV Austria Salzburg in the next round.Kahn's performance for Karlsruher SC prompted Bayern Munich to express interest in acquiring him. The team signed him as a replacement for Raimond Aumann at the beginning of the 1994–95 season, for the record fee of 4,600,000 DM (€2,385,000) for his position, and was established as Bayern’s starting goalkeeper. Although suffering a rupture of his cruciate ligament, which kept him off the field for almost six months, he played his first game for Germany's national team two months after his return. Bayern defeated Bordeaux in the 1996 UEFA Cup Final. In the 1996–97 Bundesliga season, Kahn archived his first German championship with Bayern Munich, the German League Cup, and was named German goalkeeper of the year for the second time in his career (the first in 1994).

In 1999, Bayern Munich reached the 1999 Champions League Final, facing Manchester United at Camp Nou. Although Bayern Munich player Mario Basler scored an early goal in the sixth minute of the game, two goals by Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær in injury time led to United's victory. The same year, he was named World Goalkeeper of the Year by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.Kahn was sent off in an incident against Hansa Rostock on 3 March 2001. With his Bayern Munich team losing 2–3 in the final minutes, he snuck into the area during a corner kick, jumped up, and punched the ball into the opponent’s net. He immediately received a red card, which dismissed him from the game. He was named Man of the Match when he was part of the squad which played the 2001 Champions League title against Valencia. He played an important role in the penalty shootout held after the teams remained tied 1–1 after extra time, making three saves. He also received the UEFA Fair Play Award for this match, after he walked up to a disappointed Santiago Cañizares, the opposition goalkeeper, after the penalties and attempted to comfort him. The same year, Bayern Munich won the International Cup at Tokyo's National Stadium against the Argentine team Boca Juniors.

By Kahn's account, injuries, personal problems and a lack of motivation were responsible for his game going into a rapid decline during the 2002–03 season. This culminated with Kahn allowing a seemingly soft shot by Roberto Carlos into the net against Real Madrid in the first knockout-round of the 2003–04 Champions League season, contributing to the elimination of his team from the competition. The Daily Mail criticized him for his mistake: "Once again on the big occasion Kahn was undone by a Brazilian, just as he was in the 2002 World Cup Final. Only this time it was a Roberto Carlos free-kick which he let slip, not a Ronaldo shot, for a goal as embarrassing as it is potentially catastrophic for Bayern". Bayern Munich won the next Bundesliga season with Kahn.Prior to a 2006 match against Arminia Bielefeld in Munich, Michael Rensing peppered Kahn with practice shots. One shot hit Kahn squarely in the eye, causing enough swelling and discoloration to keep him from playing. With Rensing in goal, Bayern Munich won the match 2–0.

Kahn announced his intention to honor his contract and play through the 2007–08 season. As of 2011, he is the all time clean sheet leader in the history of the Bundesliga, with 197. On 2 September 2007, aged 38, he played his 535th Bundesliga match, becoming the league's all time leader among goalkeepers in matches played. Kahn made his final European appearance for Bayern in a 4–0 defeat to Zenit Saint Petersburg in the UEFA cup semi-final on 1 May 2008. His last Bundesliga game was the 4–1 victory against Hertha Berlin on 17 May.After a twenty year-career, of which he played fourteen with Bayern, he had his professional farewell in a testimonial match versus the select Germany XI on 2 September 2008, which ended 1–1. His last appearance for Bayern Munich was on 27 May 2008 at the Salt Lake Stadium (Yuvabharati Krirangan), Kolkata in a friendly against Mohun Bagan of India during Bayern's Asian tour of 2008. Around 120,000 people turned up for the match. The match ended 0–3 in favour of Bayern and Michael Rensing substituted him in the 55th minute.

Kahn was initially called for the German national team as a late back-up for the 1994 FIFA World Cup; however he made his first international appearance in a 2–1 victory against Switzerland on 23 June 1995, two months after recovering from his cruciate ligament injury. Along with Oliver Reck, Kahn was a reserve keeper of the squad, which won the 1996 UEFA European Football Championship in England. He spent the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France on the bench, and it was not until Andreas Köpke announced his retirement at the end of the tournament that Kahn became the starting goalkeeper. Two years after the 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, in which defending champions Germany made an embarrassing exit in the group stage, Kahn received the squad's captaincy, succeeding the striker Oliver Bierhoff.

Kahn experienced one of his worst performances in his international career against England in Munich in 2001. Germany were favored to win as they had beaten England in 2000 1–0 at Wembley stadium. However, they were routed 5–1, including a hat-trick by Michael Owen. Despite the defeat, Germany qualified for the World Cup after winning a playoff against Ukraine, and Kahn remained as Germany's number one for the upcoming Cup. Kahn was named the best goalkeeper in the world by IFFHS for the second time in his career.

Despite Germany's comparatively low expectations when for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the team advanced to the finals; Kahn allowed only three goals in the course of the competition, two of which were in the Final. Playing the final match with torn ligaments in his right ring finger, Kahn allowed the first goal by fumbling a rebounded shot from Rivaldo to the feet of striker Ronaldo in the 67th minute. Once the game was over with Brazil as the new champion, he stood alone and disappointed in his goal; nevertheless he refused to blame his injury for his mistake. (David Haye should learn from him)

"There is no consolation... It was the only mistake I made in seven games and it was brutally punished." - Oliver Kahn's statements after the final of the 2002 World Cup.

The FIFA Technical Study Group awarded him with the Lev Yashin Award for the best goalkeeper of the tournament, and became the first goalkeeper in history to win the Golden Ball for the best individual performance. He also became the first German goalkeeper to keep five clean sheets in a World Cup tournament. Kahn maintained his number one spot for the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, but Germany were once again eliminated in the group stage. Oliver Kahn gave up his captaincy to Michael Ballack after the tournament.

Germany's new manager Jürgen Klinsmann, who replaced Rudi Völler, adopted the strategy of rotating the number one spot between Kahn and his longtime competitor, Jens Lehmann of Arsenal, to stimulate competition between the two. On 7 April 2006, after two years of dispute for the position Klinsmann announced Lehmann was his first-choice goalkeeper for the 2006 World Cup. Kahn decided to stay on as a backup for the competition; despite their acrimonious pre-tournament battle for Germany’s starting role, Kahn openly accepted Klinsmann’s decision. Kahn and Lehmann embraced and shook hands as the former offered words of encouragement before the quarter-final penalty shootout against Argentina. In the postgame conference, Kahn publicly praised Lehmann for his two decisive penalty saves.

After Germany was eliminated in the semi-finals by Italy, Kahn was given the start for the third place play-off held on 8 July 2006, which Germany won 3–1 against Portugal. In what was his last international appearance for Germany, he also received the captaincy of the team in the absence of the injured Michael Ballack. Although overshadowed by Bastian Schweinsteiger’s game-winning performance in the match, Kahn played to a high standard, pulling off several saves. Kahn deflected a shot by Portuguese forward Pauleta after he beat the German defence, and later saved Deco's shot made from just inside the penalty area. Following the match, Oliver Kahn announced his retirement from the German National Team. Throughout his international career he earned 86 caps for Germany, including 49 as team captain. He never won a World Cup, but finished as runner-up in 2002 and third in 2006

According to s-cobar a value of over 88 mentality for keepers is just completly un-needed and will just make them more confident in coming out of their nets. I'm assuming 88 is the value he suggesting as max, so possibly a lower value is needed. Most of the keeper sets were made by people who had little under-standing of how keepers sets work. I'd really like to revise a lot of these, but I don't have the knowledge on keepers to do it

just a short thing. I used a lot of standardize values in my GK sets in the past. I´ll not do this anymore. The most field player values has no influence on a GK iT´s more a bit cosmetic. but at all I think that standardizing stats makes it a bit boring.

Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself

I´ve explained it in another thread. It´s the behaviour of GK when he comes out - how good he is at that. standards by us and Konami are 30 - and i´m fine with it but some special GKs deserves the 40. And Kahn is definitely one of them. He didn`t come out so often but when, he knows what he has to do.

Defence: 94first I had him also on a real high value and definitely he was a monste ron the line, but his problems always was the organisation of his box.he had problems when he comes out at crosses (has nothing to do with the attack value) - and that`s the reason why I don`t want to see him on that high level. A GK on a red level of the modern era - how nearly in every situation know what he has to do was van der Sar - the perfect example of a modern GK - and my favourite, cause he starts the revolution aof the GK behaviour - but that`s a different topic. but just as an explantion why I´d reduce the def of Kahn

Balance: 97

Can`t rember a situation where he was outmuscled by anyone. that`s all. in a direct situation he knows exactly how he has to use his body

Response: 98

in my JC set of the last year - I had him on 98 and I explained so often why - and I see Kahn on the same level on his best times. WC 2002 is probably the best example - the best Kahn ever - without the mistatke against Rivaldos shot in the final. his reflexes where always world class and he was unfuckable there over years

Agility: 79

meanwhile I´ve a new definition for agilty at a GK and I don`t think that Kahn was so damn agile that he deserves a yellow value, that`s more for some special GKs who lives also by that - Janot is one for example. van der Sar also. this body turning. but Kahn wasn`t a guy of that - his more a response GK than an agility GK

Shot Power: 86

he had a good shot, no doubt, but never on that level. never. he wasn`t a GK who kick a ball over 70m and create a chance with that like Neuer do it or lehmann also in his Arsenal times. so I can`t accept the 90 for him.

Jump: 88

fine with it

Technique: 52

I reduce it, cause he was probably the weakest football GK ever

Aggression: 62

also a decrease, can`t agree with the 65. cause he just came out of his goal when it was more than needed. or in some psycho moments who aren`t the topic now - but he had nothing in common with a sweeper keeper like Lehmann or vand er Sar.

Mentality: 96

He was a true captain - the prototype of a leader and the never give up attitude was in his blood. no doubt - and since the oppinion that mentality has an influence how often a GK leaves his goal / I´ve tested hundred of GKs with ment values from 20 to 99 and it has no influence) I`m totally satisfied of a red value

Keeper Skills: 93

fine with it

Teamwork: 88

redcue it, cause yes, he was a communicative GK but he wasn`t the organizer of a defense. at set pieces definitely bat at all in the game he wasn`t the one who was the chief of the defense. there are not much GKs who I`d give a high TW value anymore. Lehmann is one, if I see his game at Arsenal where he was the chef of the defense. Chilavert is one of them. but Kahn was a ment GK not so much a TW GK. So I think a high yellow is enough for him

Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself

Great suggestions there s-cobar. I always doubted the rumor that MENT influences how often a GK leaves his goal, since I didn't noticed any difference playing against orange MENT Casillas. Also had my doubts about the effect of Agility on keepers. There is certainly a difference between green and yellow values here, but not something big. I can't put my finger on what exactly it is. I'd like to hear your definition for Agility.